Apple also alerted its developer community that it is evaluating COVID-19-related apps to ensure data sources are reputable and that developers presenting the apps are from recognized entities like government organizations, health-focused NGOs, companies deeply credentialed in health issues, and medical or educational institutions. “Only developers from one of these recognized entities should submit an app related to COVID-19,” said the company. “Entertainment or game apps with COVID-19 as their theme will not be allowed.” In addition, Apple is waiving some fees for non-profits and government agencies developing COVID-19-related apps.

Alphabet’s Verily Life Sciences is at work on an online screening website for COVID-19. “We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time,” said the company. The project was announced at a White House press conference.

Microsoft Bing launched COVID-19 Tracker, a web site that offers details on cases of the virus worldwide. Viewers can click on an interactive map to see the number of cases in a country, along with related articles from publishers like the LA Times, NPR and Travel + Leisure.

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), set for June 9-11 in LA, has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. “After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles,” said the Entertainment Software Association.

YouTube changed advertising guidelines that prevented the monetization of videos that include coronavirus content. While the company’s “sensitive events” policy is aimed at protecting advertisers from being associated with negative content like mass shootings, armed conflicts and global health crises, “It’s becoming clear this issue is now an ongoing and important part of everyday conversation,” YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said. “We want to make sure news organizations and creators can continue producing quality videos in a sustainable way.” Still, ads will be enabled only on “a limited number of channels.”

Snap shifted its second Snap Partner Summit, planned to gather developers, content creators and advertisers, April 2 in LA, to an online-only streaming presentation amid the spread of the coronavirus… Britain’s Royal Television Society Program Awards will be held without an audience on Tuesday, March 17. While venue London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, holds 2,000 people, only nominees and RTS reps will be in the room. Fleabag, Chernobyl, The Circle, Love Island and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK are among contenders.

Pokemon Go is going in a different direction, for now, in response to the spread of the coronavirus. Developer Niantic said it is “prioritizing updates to Pokémon Go features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual setting.” Adjustments to the game, which normally involves players gathering around points of interest, include increasing habitats so trainers can see more monsters nearby while playing closer to home. “While we’ve made these updates based on the current global health situation, we also encourage players to make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities,” said Niantic.

DataWalk, provider of intelligence analysis software, announced it has demonstrated a solution it says can proactively identify potential supercarriers, patients zero and people at risk of contracting Coronavirus by connecting and correlating data such as immigration records, individuals who are known to be affected, and anonymized cell phone data. DataWalk claims it can help identify:
Sources of infection: Potential super carriers who are often resistant to the disease themselves and do not know that they can infect others.People at risk: People who may have been infected through contact with a supercarrier, or with a person who is currently diagnosed with a virus (e.g., was on the same flight, in the same office, ate in the same restaurant, etc.).Current and potential outbreaks.

Monet has launched a new AI platform it says enables content producers to understand subconscious and conscious reactions, with content testing, audience analytics and a consumer insights platform that captures and correlates subconscious (Facial Coding, Eye Trace) and conscious reactions (Emoji Reactions, User Annotations, Attitude & Opinion Surveys) to content to help content creators, editors, programmers and marketing executives optimize creative and messaging. “Monet believes our digital, AI platform will be a ‘disruptor’ in content testing and audience research,” said founder and CEO Dr. Anurag Bist. “We are able to do what we do at scale, compared to traditional dial-testing with only 30 participants in a room, and at a lower cost with faster turnarounds, usually within 1-2 days.”

Bill Gates is leaving the board of Microsoft to “dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities,” said the company, but will continue to serve as a technology advisor to CEO Satya Nadella and other company leaders. “Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill’s ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward,” said Nadella.” I am grateful for Bill’s friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him to realize our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” Gates is also leaving the board of Berkshire Hathaway.

Leaders from tech, government, and consumer advocacy will participate in the Washington Post’s invite-only Technology 202 Network. The Technology is aimed at giving readers “the inside scoop on what the top leaders in the tech and tech policy space are thinking about the critical topics of the moment,” said Sara Sorcher, deputy editor of PowerPost. “We will continue growing the network, adding prominent voices to capture the different perspectives of the tech debate.” Among the companies included are Amazon, Google, Facebook, Verizon, Microsoft, AT&T and TikTok.

While less than 1% of smartphones sold in the US in 2019 were 5G, awareness of 5G during the second half the year rose from 73% to 89%, with 65% of consumers saying they were interested in purchasing a 5G smartphone, according to the NPD Group. ““Smartphone pricing and lack of clear use case for 5G were the main obstacles to purchase in 2019, but we expect this to change in 2020,” stated Brad Akyuz, executive director, industry analyst NPD Connected Intelligence. “As 5G becomes a standard feature in flagship models and more affordable 5G mid-tier device options debut, 5G adoption will grow and potentially begin to drive upgrade cycles.”

The Anatomy of a Video Experience, a study conducted by MAGNA, IPG Media Lab and Vevo, explores the ways consumers view video across OTT, linear TV, PC and mobile, and what motivates their viewing habits. The study found that viewers have no true “go-to” device to watch video – instead, device selections are made in the moment based on situational factors. (For example, viewers select OTT for video/audio quality, select linear for exclusive content, and select mobile and PC for accessibility.) Other key findings include the fact that consumers are in different mindsets on each video device; audio attention reigns supreme, even in a video environment; linear TV users are more likely browsing on other digital devices if they’re multi-tasking than users of other devices; and there is more passive video search discovery happening on OTT (24%) than other digital devices like PC (18%) and mobile (16%). For details, go here.

HBO Max will “be basically a domestic product” at launch, said AT&T CFO John Stephens at a Deutsche Bank conference. The expansion strategy for the streamer includes getting HBO customers onboard, adding non-HBO customers, and bundling it with the company’s other services. “Expect next year, we’d move towards an AVOD product,” said Stephens, then focus on international expansion. HBO Max launches in May.

NBCUniversal is launching NBC News Custom Productions, focused on finding ways to pair its growing news content for streaming outlets with advertisers. The launch of the studio, which would create editorial streaming avenues brands and marketers could get behind, follows CNN’s establishment of in-house unit Courageous, which develops content for advertisers.

In related news, NBCU is exploring streaming opportunities for its morning staple Today. NBC News Digital staffers were told the company intends to shift some employees assigned to video “to focus on preparing for a streaming experience,” according to Variety.

Pay-as-you-go satellite provider Orby TV announced a new subscriber promotion offering purchase and installation of a full system including dish, high-powered local TV antenna, and standard receiver with remote for one room of $125. Promotion runs through April 15.

ADVERTISING

FAANG TV ad spend was up 18% in 2019 versus the year before, according to VAB. Last year, Amazon spent $1.1 billion, followed by $608.7 million for Apple, $465.8 million for Google, $346.1 million for Facebook, and $84.9 million for Netflix. Collectively, the tech giants’ spend would be $450 million more than Procter & Gamble, the biggest spender on TV.

Xandr announced the next evolution of Xandr Invest, a strategic buying platform. For advertisers, Xandr Invest’s enhanced TV solutions offer new ways to plan and activate audiences more consistently across TV programmers through a self-serve UI, simplifying campaign execution while providing insights from AT&T data to improve the effectiveness of media buying. Participating media companies will be able to optimize linear schedules to effectively reach audiences across networks. The solution reaches 76% of all US households. Advertisers can define a single audience across all participating programmers with the flexibility to use their own first-party data, viewership data from Nielsen, or Xandr Audience Segments. Xandr Invest will be available for TV buyers through an open beta for the 2020 upfronts. For more, go here.

The Ad Sales unit of Xandr corporate sib WarnerMedia announced the launch of a custom-built insights tool in partnership with social data company Shareablee and its new Social Center of Excellence, aimed at powering comprehensive and customized branded content campaigns. The offering has been built to focus on actionable audience insights; competitive analysis; and brand highlights. “As the industry continues to evolve and consumers have more choices of what content to watch and where, it’s essential we’re able to expand our capabilities and help marketers drive personalized and impactful connections with our fans that extend beyond the traditional viewing experience,” said Frank Kavilanz, SVP of growth strategy and solutions, WarnerMedia Ad Sales. “Shareablee is a leader in the social space and has been a great partner in supporting our mission to provide partners a simplified and more thoughtful advertising experience.” For more, go here.

MNI Targeted Media, a division of the Meredith Corp., launched motto, an OTT optimization platform that provides near real-time conversion indicators for connected TV (CTV) and OTT advertising. Powered by MNIx, MNI’s programmatic ad buying solution, motto enables advertisers to identify the ways geo-targeting, creative, publisher, device type, time of day and more can impact conversions.

Kantar has acquired Mavens of London, the data-led, digital marketing and analytics consultancy founded in 2009 to help marketers understand trends, patterns and needs and then optimize the performance of their digital environments, SEO, search and content strategies to address them. Commenting on the acquisition, Kantar’s first since spinning out of WPP, Richard Ingleton, Global CEO of Kantar’s Insights division said, “On becoming independent, we signaled our intent to accelerate our investment strategy….Our Analytics Practice is a key growth driver for Kantar, as clients turn to us to help them unlock deeper insights about consumers and how they think, feel and act to fuel growth for their business. Mavens’ analytics consulting capabilities in particular are unique in their ability to combine data literacy, marketing strategy, commercial expertise, and technical delivery to offer solutions from strategy through to implementation.”